Expectations have been significantly raised for the Patriots in 2026.
In Year 1 under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots went 14-3 during the regular season and unexpectedly made the Super Bowl after finishing 4-13 in consecutive seasons. Now it’s about figuring out how to get back to the Super Bowl and win it all.
Vrabel and top front-office executives Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden and John Streicher have over $40 million in cap space (with other means to free up more) and 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Herald is publishing a daily series with five offseason fixes that cover the draft, free agency and trades that can help the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl.
Step No. 1: Trade for Maxx Crosby
Step No. 2: Fortify Offensive line
Next step, No. 3: Extend key homegrown players
Wolf has shown a willingness to build out the Patriots’ roster in a variety of ways, but his key philosophy is still to draft and develop.
The Patriots rewarded 2022 third-round pick Marcus Jones with a three-year, $36 million contract extension at midseason. Players drafted in 2023 are now eligible for contract extensions. That includes Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez, linebacker/safety/special-teamer Marte Mapu, wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas and punter Bryce Baringer.
Gonzalez should be the priority, and he’ll likely reset the market for cornerbacks. Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner is currently the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, signed to a four-year, $120.4 million deal. Texans cornerback is on a three-year, $90 million deal, while Panthers cornerbacks Jaycee Horn is locked in for $100 million over four years. Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, drafted in 2021, is a bargain at four years, $96 million.
The APY to any deal for Gonzalez starts at $30.1 million. If Gonzalez signs a three-year deal, the Patriots would be fortunate if it’s for $96 million. The floor for a four-year deal is likely around $128 million. A more realistic deal could come in around $100 million for three years or $140 million for four years. An extension for Gonzalez would officially kick in after the 2027 season. Gonzalez is still under his rookie contract for 2026, and the Patriots will assuredly pick up his fifth-year option for the 2027 season, which is projected around $18 million. So, Gonzalez is still under some cost control over the next two seasons, though they can spread out a new signing bonus over those years, reducing his cap hit for future years.
After Gonzalez, an extension for Boutte makes sense. Boutte is still under his rookie contract in 2026. He was a sixth-round pick, so he’s not eligible for a fifth-year option.
It’s harder to project a contract for Boutte. And he could elect to take a risk and play out his 2026 season to see if he can increase his value before he hits free agency. Through three seasons, Boutte has topped out at 43 catches, 589 yards and six touchdowns for career-highs. He was on pace for a better season in 2025 before suffering a concussion and hamstring injury, limiting him to 14 games. He added nine catches for 168 yards with a touchdown in the postseason.
There’s not a perfect player comp for Boutte, but the Bills’ Khalil Shakir, the Falcons’ Darnell Mooney, the Ravens’ Rashod Bateman, the Giants’ Darius Slayton, the Bills’ Josh Palmer, the Jaguars Dyami Brown and the Rams’ Tutu Atwell all recently signed deals worth $10-to-$13.25 million per year. The floor for a Boutte deal would be around $10 million per year, while — with the rising salary cap — a ceiling would be around $15 million.
Signing Boutte to an extension would lock in a starting-caliber wide receiver while still giving the Patriots flexibility to find a better receiving option, depending on what they do with Stefon Diggs this offseason.
Diggs, 33, is due $22.5 million in cash this season. On March 13, $6 million of his $20.6 million salary becomes fully guaranteed. So, the Patriots must make a decision before then. He pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation or suffocation and a lesser assault and battery charge against a live-in chef on Feb. 13. He’s due back in court April 1. So, the Patriots will need to make a decision on his future before that pre-trial hearing.
Extending Douglas, Mapu and Baringer are lesser priorities. The Patriots could even bring in competition for Baringer this offseason after inconsistent play during the 2025 regular season and playoffs.